


Suits

by sonshineandshowers



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Silly, disproportionate retribution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23160172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonshineandshowers/pseuds/sonshineandshowers
Summary: Jessica gives Malcolm an invitation to a charity dinner. Malcolm asks Gil to go with him. Malcolm orders them new suits, and hilarity ensues.For Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt Disproportionate Retribution.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Suits

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissScorp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/gifts), [TheFibreWitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFibreWitch/gifts).



> for MissScorp, who mentioned suits and made me think of this for this prompt, and TheFibreWitch, who requested this prompt

The invitation Malcolm turned over and over in his hands had gold calligraphy and laser cut wings tied snug with a bow. A passed off _you are cordially invited to_ a charity dinner that Jessica had insisted Malcolm accept to get him out of his loft. "Take someone nice, dear," she advised, her not so subtle suggestion to arrive with a date.

When he stilled and braved opening it, the looping letters spoke of a cancer support group. Reading through the details, Gil was the only person he wanted to bring to that benefit.

Instead of asking him directly, Malcolm set the open invitation on Gil’s desk at the end of a long day. Gil’s fingers traveled over the fine paper, playing with each of the cut spaces. After Gil finished reading, Malcolm spoke, “Will you come with me?”

Gil cleared his throat. “Yes.”

It was close enough to Gil’s birthday that Malcolm added, "Could I get you a new suit?"

"No," Gil declined, not wanting to accept something so fancy.

“Your pick - for your birthday. It's custom made, but mail order - a lot less expensive - like $200. A new place. I'm gonna order one, and I'd like to get you one too,” Malcolm detailed, his nervous energy flying in his continuous words and hands waving.

Gil took in what seemed like one of Malcolm’s less elaborate plans that might be, “Okay. Something simple. What's the catch?"

"We have to measure ourselves.” Malcolm smiled. “Lucky you, I'm an expert."

Gil shook his head at the silliness of the statement. “Okay, kid."

* * *

Dani and Malcolm had gotten into the friendly rhythm of if one of them wanted to talk, Dani would drive him home. They’d use the drive to complain, bullshit, and sometimes just wonder about how the day could have gone differently. Occasionally, Dani would say she was going his way, which was really code for _you look really tired, and I want to see you get home safe_.

Malcolm invited Dani up for tea so they could laugh over the ridiculousness of catching their suspect in a grocery store floor sweeping robot, or _human roomba_ as JT had dubbed him. The intercom buzzed, and when he pressed the button, the response came “Delivery.”

"That's my suit!" Malcolm said excitedly, running down the stairs to meet the delivery man.

He came back with a wide, flat box, his eyes glowing with glee. “Well you can't get all giddy and not try it on," Dani teased, pushing his shoulder.

He opened the box on the countertop and pulled out the bag from inside. Unzipping the bag to reach the suit, he revealed -

“That could fit a _child_.” Dani laughed, not even bothering to hide it.

He looked over the beautiful peacock blue he had fallen in love with in the online catalog. "Maybe it just looks small."

She lifted the jacket out of the bag and held it in front of his chest. It didn't reach his belly button. "Bright - you have a problem."

She set the jacket back on top of the bag. He held his finger up and pulled out his phone. "Hey, did you get your suit yet?"

"Just tried it on - fits great,” Gil responded, thinking about whether he should get a haircut before Saturday.

"Great!" Malcolm parroted back, nervous joy in his voice. "Well, I'm gonna go try on mine!"

Malcolm hung up, leaving Gil wondering if he'd gotten high on the way home. Before he could resume conversation with Dani, his mother walked through the door. "Hi, dear, is that your suit for Saturday?" Jessica asked, making a beeline for it. "Oh, hello, Dani - nice you see you’re his date.”

"Ohhhh, nooo." Dani shook her head, not wanting his mother to think they were anything more than friends. She looked at the door and considered finding a path to escape, yet stuck around in case Malcolm needed support.

“Then who are you taking?" She turned to Malcolm, piecing the truth out of his eyes, knowing it was unlikely he would’ve spent time finding someone else in the month.

"Mother," he greeted, matching the overly saccharine tone she’d entered with. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I would check on you. Let me see the suit."

Jessica grabbed it from the top of the bag before he could stop her. "You're compact for travel, but you're not this small." She looked over the jacket with an eye of disdain.

Dani spit her sip of tea back into her mug. She hid her face in the opening trying not to laugh again.

"Where did you get this - the discount rack?" Jessica unleashed with scorn.

"Mother, I must have made a mistake in measurement,” Malcolm tried to be the calm.

"In taste, yes. In measuring? You know what you're doing." She rummaged for a tag. "Who made this bargain?"

She scooped up the bag and jacket and made her way for the door. Jessica relayed, ”I’ll call them and let them know how great it'll be to get a negative review from a Milton. I'm sure they'll be able to fix it for you for Saturday."

She closed the door behind her before he could reply, the whirlwind gone as fast as it had arrived.

"That's a determined mother.“ Dani smirked.

“Goes with the nice uncle.” The shock was still imprinted across his eyes.

* * *

If Jessica wanted something done impeccably right, she did it herself. In person, all sophisticatedly dressed 5’10” in heels glowering at whoever she needed to get her way. Today was Ken Ban’s unlucky day.

"I got hung up on multiple times on the phone." She laid out the bag across the counter with more emphasis and show than was necessary. "I need my son's suit fixed, or I'm going to sink your business."

“What seems to be the problem?” Ken asked, practicing his best unaffected face.

“These are his measurements.” She handed him a slip of paper. “You tell me.”

Ken removed the suit from the bag, noting the pants looked adequately sized to fit his kid nephew. Maybe minor adjustments were needed. He compared to the paper on the counter. “ _Oh_. It’s too small. There - “

“It’s Shrinky Dink,” she interrupted and shared another death stare. “Can’t you all read?”

“There must have been a mistake,” Ken finally found space to get his words out.

“You think?” Her stance with her weight on one hip challenged him to say something to set her off. “I need you to fix my son’s suit. It’s for a high society gala.”

“Ma’am.” Ken regretted his word choice as soon as her eyes flared. “We fix any customer’s suit.”

"It needs to be done for Sa-tur-day.” She tapped each syllable into the counter with her index finger.

"We fix it same day." Ken’s plain answers were giving little to keep fueling her contempt.

“So get on with it then.” She shooed him with her hand. “So I can delete the review that says your quality is bargain-basement, unsuitable to be buried in.”

“We need your son.” To triple check the measurements, yet Ken wasn’t about to tell her that.

“He’ll be right down.” She smiled, picking up her phone.

“Is the other suit okay?” Ken asked, looking up from his computer screen.

She peeked around the side, getting a glimpse at the fit and measurements. “Yes, I think that one’s fine.”

* * *

Gil pulled up to Malcolm's building to Malcolm pacing outside of it, what could have been easily misconstrued as strutting in his suit. Malcolm got into the passenger seat instead of waiting for Gil to get out. "You look great, kid," Gil shared, taking in the teal of his tie against the pale yellow of his shirt.

Malcolm looked over Gil's charcoal grey suit, paired with a black patterned tie he recognized as a gift. "You do too."

He looked at the steering wheel. “Do you think Jackie would've liked it?"

Malcolm’s smile sparked. “Yeah! She’d call you smokey. How 'bout mine?"

"Yeah." He looked across the jacket’s velvety lapel. “She always did like that color on you.”

Gil’s fingers ran over the cuff of his jacket, in awe of how much he liked it and how well it fit. Jackie would have had him do a few spins in the living room so she could take in every angle. "You can still have nice things, Gil,” Malcolm shared, misinterpreting the action.

"Yeah,” Gil agreed, looking over to him, “but you don't need to buy them." They’d had several arguments over Malcolm offering to pay to fix the LeMans, which Gil had vehemently refused.

Malcolm wrung his hands, his unrest resurfacing with force - this was as good a time as any to tell Gil. "There's an auction at this thing. And, uh, I'd like you to help me pick something out. For Jackie."

Gil’s eyes wondered if Malcolm had heard a single word he’d just said. But Malcolm had already put so much thought into the evening, he considered Malcolm might mean something different than he was interpreting. “Like what?”

“Shared activity space. Daycare. Supplies to make fleece blankets. Support that people with cancer and their families need.” Malcolm’s eyes dipped between his face and out the window.

“Okay.” Gil started the car again. “Relax a bit. Try to have some fun.”

"If you do."

"Deal." Malcolm’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he took a look at it. “Mother says have a nice night.”

"Let me guess, I was supposed to be a hot date," Gil teased.

"In her mind." Malcolm smiled back. "Can't help I knew a guy I'd have a better time with."

"Likewise."

* * *

_fin_


End file.
